zipped vs. stuffed

[showmethebam]

First of all, I have to admit that I am not an expert
on the techical field. I am a graphic person but have
been in the field for a long time to understand most of
the technical terms related to my work.
When I sent a .ZIP file to the press the tech person
from the press told me he couldn't see the fonts. He recommended to stuff it instead and send him again.
He said there might be a PC-interfering so the font were damaged. very strange to me. But many other vendors use PC and I've never had this problem before. In fact, I was told by PC users that I want to zip it since it's more widely used.(am I right?) I've never had this kind of request/demand before.

I use InDesign to create jobs and pack them using its
own preflight. Then zip the files with Suffit Deluxe.
Change the archive to zip and then zip.
I know that InDesign has some problem with packing fonts
but in this case the fonts were packed.
Please explain difference between those two?

 

[jimoblak]

I sense this is a problem with a difference in platforms. It would help to know your platform and the printer's.

Without knowing these details, you can get around this by using OpenType fonts or by sending a press-ready PDF file.

 

[jmgalvin]

If you used mac postcript fonts, or truetype fonts without the "ttf"extension, the pc may not recognize them.

You also don't need to go through stuffit. Just package up the ID job and "create archive" from the Finder file menu (or right click).

Of course, it's easiest to send a press quality pdf where the fonts are embedded - vupassing any problems.

Using OSX 10.3.9 on a G4

 

[showmethebam]

Thank you for the good advice.

I send most of my work to the press either a press ready pdf or the original files with a pdf for a reference. The press companies that I work with prefer the original files if the job is big like full color catalogs or annual reports because they can correct files and colors to match clients' requirement. And sometimes, there is a last minute changes from the clients too. So it is very important that they have the original files with all the elements.
And the right click create archive button doesn't work for me since I have to send all the elements with it. I have to make sure the fonts and the images are there when I collect the file.

Dear, jimoblak, I am a mac user(a mac OS X 10.4) and the press I had used use a pc. What I really want to know is how the zipped file and stuffed file work differently when they pack files and why the tech person, the pc user, now prefers stuffed instead zipped.

 

[jimoblak]

You can 'create archive' of the INDD file and the related links and fonts if you right-click on the folder containing all of this.

For further understanding of Mac font files, see:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HFS_Plus

http://www.macdisk.com/fontsen.php3

The PC user is going to be reading the data fork but font file data is really in the resource fork.

The press person is best to ask why SIT is better than ZIP. Their unstuffer app may be better able to extract the HFS data used by Mac. Similar data can be stored in either ZIP or SIT on your end. It just depends on what extraction app the printer is using to view the resource fork data.

 

[RegistrationMark]

I concur with everyone here. I have found that using Stuffit Deluxe to zip or unzip folders does not produce reliable results. Use the BomArchiveHelper (Mac right-click) as the previous posts have recommended to zip and unzip.
Mark

 

[showmethebam]

Thank you all for the great ideas and suggestions.
I am going to use more of that right click (in my case, control + click)from now on.
Learn something everyday... love it!

 

[jimoblak]

Consider going out to buy a $10-20 replacement mouse with a right button and a bag of potato chips.

You'll find InDesign (among everything else) works much more easily when you can right-click and bring up useful options. With your hand now free from holding the control key, you can eat those chips.

 

[showmethebam]

I am happy with my one click mouse and in fact on a diet now. ha ha

 

[Eggles]

>>With your hand now free from holding the control key, you can eat those chips.<<

Love it!!